Improved machine for measuring horses for collars



NJTERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAFMER, WASHINGTON D C @at-eut Citytime.

WILLIAM Il. FLYNN, OF SOMERlIIJLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR'TO HIMSELF, THOMAS J'. MCGORMIGK, AND E. I). EDSTROM, JR.

Letters Patent No. 99,660, elated Februm'ly 8, 1870.

IMPnovnD MACHINE PoR MEASURING HORSES ron COLLARS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same'.

To all whom it may concern Be it known thatl I, WILLIAM H. FLYNN, of Somerville, in the county ot Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Device for Measuring Horses for Horse-Collars; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany' andv form part of this speciticatiom is a description of my invention sui'- cient to enable those skilled in the art to practise it.

The invention relates to the construction of a scale for measuring necks of horses, with reference to making well-iitting horse-collars.

The usual custom among horse-collar makers in obtaining the measurement for the length of the collar, is to lay a rule vertically against the. side of the horses neck, squinting across fronrthe upper and under surt'aceof the neck to` ascertain the distance from the centre ot' the breastto the top ot' the neck, it being more a mat-ter of guessing than of actual measurement.. It will be obvious that this process is very inaccurate.

A similar method is pursued in measuring for the width ot' the collar, with correspondingly unreliable resuits.

1n my method, I employ a quadrangular frame, having guiding-devices, which bring the figured parts of a scale, or members of the frame,'into position for Cenotng the proper measurements;l and My invention consists, primarily, in a frame or scale, having fixed upon one Vend au arm, which carries a forked or bifurcated piece, to rest upon the top of the neck ofthe horse, and also having ai sliding arm, which. carries a device properly formed for resting against the breast of the horse.

The drawings represent a scale or `ineasuring-apparatus embodying the invention.

A shows a front'view of 'the` apparatus.- j y B, a side view ofthe same, illustrating its application around the neck of a horse.

a denotes a straight strip or rule, the front surface of which is vprovided with suitable divisions and tigures, as seen at A.

At the to'p of this strip is xed one end of an arm, l1, whose other cud,- extending inwardly from the strip, le'asa short projection, c, from which depends a crotch er fork, ll, so formed that it will straddle the neck of a horse down against or .just above Vthe Withers, its position relatively. to the arm 11,' or the length of the pieces, being such that the arm will4 rest upon-the neck where thel roll of the collar is to come.

e denotes a sliding or movable arm, suitably formed at one vend for sliding easily upon the strip a, and keeping its right angular position to such strip, the upper edge of the slide being straight,paud being the edge by the position ot' which, relatively -to the divisions and tigures on the strip a., the measurement is deter'- mined.

At a distance along the slide from the strip a, equal to the distance from the top ofthe strip not' the piece c, abreastpiece, f, projects from the rear side of the slide, the inner end ot' the breast-piece being widened and formed hollowing, as seen at A, this piece, when the measurement is beingy made, being pressed up to the breast, and extending partially around the same.

In using the apparatus, the arin c is slid down, and the frame is carried over the head of the horse, and the piece c is laid upon the horses neck, with the fork (Z straddling the neck above the withers. The main strip a is then laid against the shoulder, and the arm e is slid up to the breast, the 'piece f following down and embracing the breast, all as seen at B, where the dotted line denotes the neck and Vbreast ot' the horse. The top of ythe slide, or its union with `the scale ou the strip a, will now 'indicate on the scale the `depth ofthe neck for the inner length ofthe collar at the roll.

To obtain the width, the lower arm or slide e is pro-l vided with a vertical slide, g, and4 when the measuring-.frame is iu position, as above described, this slide g is pushed in `against: the breast, in front of the shoulder, when the widt-h from the centre of the breastpiece to the inner side ofthe slide g maybe read upon a. scale on the front of the arm e, as secu at A, this measurement, ot course, denoting j ust haltl the inner Y width of the collar at the widest part thereof'.

By these means, the neck of any horse can be readily measurd with accuracy, and withoutthe skill reguired to make such measurements in theordinary manner.

I claim-- In combination with the main strip or scale-piece a, the fixed arm b, having the neck-piece (l, and the movable arm e, having the breast-piece f, substantially as described.

Also, in combination with the main'strip a and arms b and e, the slide g, substantially as described.

` W. H. 11T-LYNN.

Witnesses.:

FRANCIS GOULD, S. B. KIDDER. 

